High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Maybaly This Is The Year

Episode Date: September 3, 2026

Jack Fritz and Tucker Bagley react to the Phillies winning 2 of 3 in Arizona behind really strong starts from all their starting pitchers. The guys then preview this weekend's pivotal series against the division-leading Atlanta Braves. Presented by Miller Lite.To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com

Miller Light, the official beer partner of your Philadelphia Phillies, is proud to serve as presenting sponsor of WIP's High Hopes Pod. To whether you're listening to the game, catching off on the latest High Hopes pod or at the ballpark. Remember, it tastes like Miller time, Phillies fans. Celebrate responsibly. This is the High Hopes podcast. High Hope! On the Odyssey app and Sports Radio 94, WIP.

The crowd is singing, hi hope. I feel a little less warm. Welcome on. It is another edition of the I host podcast. If you're looking for the yo, it is a seltzerless podcast. But as always, the high host podcast is presented by Miller Lightjack Fritz, along with my guy, Tucker Bagley. Tucker, what's going on, Bill? I'm just excited that there are no more West Coast games on the schedule. Yeah. I mean, I feel you. This week, though, was kind of nice because I could get the boys down. Walker had been napping during the day. So he's, been up to like 9, 930, like a crazy man. So he's able to go to sleep, then I'm going to lock in for first pitch. Now, on the contrary, now I've had to go to bed in like the seventh inning because I haven't made it through.

And then we watch it in the morning. So I feel you. But I will say, it wasn't, it wasn't the worst timing for a nice little West Coast trip for my, my Phil's viewing pleasure. But for normal human beings, normal functioning human beings, I'm sure they agree with your sentiment, Tucker. Yeah, Saturday, I was excited. I fell asleep in the eighth, and my wife woke me up, and I was like, oh, it's all right, they won. And just kidding, it was one, one going into extra. So I got to watch the rest of that.

But yeah, I mean, the Phillies seem to enjoy the West Coast. They seem to have a lot of success and enjoy the late starts. Well, it's certainly a change from how it used to be. I mean, I think we used to dread the West Coast trips. And they actually just went out. And besides the first two games of the Mariners series, which were, which were tough. The first game, you excused the way. The second one was, I don't know, like, if they just won nine in a row, are they able to come back down to Earth? They rebounded on that

on that Wednesday. But, you know, I thought it was a really impressive, like, you know, gut check type of road trip. And they went into Arizona, a place that has been a bit of a house of horrors for this team. And they didn't like take it to them. You know, game two they did. going down there and taking two or three and, you know, Catel's back in the lineup and whatever hat he was wearing about, you know, the burning of bridges. Burning bridges and whatnot and then Tori Lavello. That's a team that's still fighting for their playoff lives.

I don't think they're that good, but they're not like some pushover. And for the most part, I think the Phillies went in there and they outplayed the debacks. And yesterday it was classic getaway day type energy from this team. but easily could have gone out there and swept a pretty desperate Diamondbacks team. Yeah, and you kind of look at the way they've separated themselves now from the rest of the pack. And obviously, you have a tough week coming up with the Braves. You have some games against the Brewers and Race at the end of the season. But for a team that made me two weeks ago, we were talking about them being with the Diamondbacks and the Padres kind of competing for the very back of the wildcar picture.

Now you're ahead of the Cubs. not only do you have the number one spot in the wild card, but you've created a lot of separation, where if you do have an off week coming up this month, you still have that cushion to play with, which really, for the first time, maybe all season, they finally have some cushion

and can breathe a little bit in a playoff spot. Yeah, and that's what made yesterday kind of suck a little bit was, you know, you have a chance to win that game. It's zero, zero, you lose one nothing, and the Cubs are facing Mizoroski, and it ended up being a higher scoring game, but the Cubs lose.

And you could have, you could have gotten two-game cushion. You still have the only one-game cushion. I would love to have home field over the Cubs. Riggily, you know, this team going into Riggily and trying to win a postseason series seems like a bit of a daunting task. I like the way that they're playing, obviously. But still, would like home field advantage for that, for that series for sure. And who knows, like, whatever the Cubs, you know, maybe have going on at home. Breggman's on the team now.

So you can never be too sure about what operations. I mean, all of a sudden, PCA might be a 40-40. It might need be time to investigate the Cubs. Investigate the Cubs. I was shocked when I saw he had 37 home runs last week. 38 now. 38?

It's crazy. He's unbelievable. But investigate the Cubs. Nevertheless, we need that to be a home series. So, you know, we'll obviously get into the specifics of this series.

But the thing that I wanted to kind of throw out at the beginning because really having a tough time. I'm really wrestling with this one, Tucker. Because you know me. Like, I'm always a, I want a dream guy. Like, I want to dream on this team. Oh, yeah.

Are you, are you allowing yourself to dream? Are you allowing yourself to believe that, that this team is different? There's been a lot of talk of like, I don't know, kind of feels like the year. I did tweet yesterday. We're monitoring the situation on if this is the year or not. Are you allowing yourself to dream? Are you taking this day by day? I think I am allowing myself to.

to dream because I do think this team is different. And not so much. And this is a team of destiny. And I can't believe, you know, how they pull off some of these wins. But you think about some of the things that have hamstrung this team in the postseason in the past. And they have different needs than they have before. Like their bullpen isn't as good as it has been in years past.

But I really like that they actually have bench guys now. They have some depth in their lineup where, you know, a guy goes cold and you need to swap out somebody, you know. I'm curious to see what Justin Crawford does in the postseason in his first time. I mean, we're only a few years removed from Johann Rojas hitting 315 in the regular season and then going over, you know, in the playoffs. And I don't think Justin Crawford is going to do that. I appreciate his approach a lot more than than Rojas. But, you know, if he struggles, you have a guy in Derek Hill who can go out there and play center field.

Brandon Marsh has been maybe one of the worst outfielders in baseball in the second half. like you have someone in Brian Dela Cruz who can go up and play, especially if you have to go against a tough lefty. So offensively, I think they have more depth than they've really ever had in this run. They don't have the top end guys. They don't have multiple. I mean,

Bryce has been amazing. Schwerber's kind of done, you know, he's been all right in the second half. He hasn't been as great as he was in the first half. But I look at the depth in this lineup and the depth in the rotation, now that both Painter and Nola seem to have got going. And those are two things that I think they've,

really struggled with in recent playoff runs that could really help carry them in days where, hey, if Bryce goes 0 for 4, like they have a shot because someone else might get them up and get a big hit. I want the record to show that I believe you said Mabelie before talking about Brandon Marsh. I did.

Yep. I was like, maybe it's Mabelie. Maybe it's on the pod. Mabelie, this is the year. Are you dreaming? Mabley. Mabily. I have no idea. Mabily I am.

Maybe I'm not. I will say, I did say off the air to you and Seltz either day that I don't feel as dumb as I felt with the other kids, you know, from everything going on. I've reached that point now where I just feel so stupid, just so stupid. Not that I've ever like, you know, exuded the idea that there's much going on in this brain besides Phil's baseball. But I feel like it's gotten to a point now where if you just look me in the eyes, there's nothing going on. There's just, it lights on no one's home. So maybe we're going to make it. Maybe we won't.

the I'm really I'm really trying to to take this day by day with this team I'm I I don't want to get ahead of myself my head of myself but everything that you just laid out is is pretty much where I'm at I mean you look at what the starting staff has done we we talked about the offense and what they've been doing since a rise's edition and we probably need to start having a conversation about louisa rise we'll get to that a little bit later but you look at all the sudden with what painter's doing what nola both were brilliant out in Arizona Lazzardo you can make the case it's been the best start on the staff for majority of the season and then you know I think the Sanchez and Wheeler I mean Sanchez it's so funny we we've been talking to podcast like Sanchez has been some scrub and then you look okay you look up in August and he had a 1.75 era I think or like 1.4 is like the second best in the National League but his highs are just so high that any little thing you're like I don't know is this like this weird football's part so but you look at you look at

that and I mean every single turn the rotation now you have a chance for one of these guys to go out there and fire six shut out six one run seven one run two run I mean the starting staff is on such a role right now that and and the nice part about it is that you know in the postseason you do feel feel like you're a bit of an arm short out there. The McFarland development is just phenomenal. I can't wait to talk about him. But all of a sudden, if you have a painter who can now maybe go to the bullpen, you can get a little bit creative with Nola because you don't feel like he's going to go out

there and like crap down his leg. It was so funny. I was watching Nola the other night. And it almost got back to the old Nola feeling where you're just like, I just trust Aaron Nola. He's just got it again. I don't know what it is, but he just has it again. Like, he looks like himself again. Yeah. I just was watching him. And it almost erased the last year and a half of watching Aaron Nola because it was just he's going out there and doing his job and he's got some life on the pitches again. And he's, he's got command of both sides of the plate.

It's, it's been a revelation. So I'm really trying to take it one day at a time. But you look at what they're doing. You look what the offense is doing. I wonder if there's going to be, like they probably won't because they're winning. I don't even know what it would be lineup structure-wise. Just because you look at what's going on right now and it's swarber's

hit and miss. Turner is a zero. Disaster. Harper, it feels like every time Harper bats in the first inning, it's a two outs and no one on and it's just like, oh, just walk him. Here's Bryce and there's the walk. It's a great bit for his own base street. Like just a

walk with two outs in the first inning and keep it moving. Exactly, dude. He's just like, all right. Let's, let's continue. And he is, I appreciate Price to say at one of like he's, he's now gunning for the on base streak. Like the, he bunted the other night and he got the first base. And I don't know if I've ever seen him so fired up in my life is, is him celebrating the,

the drag bun that he's able to pull off. It was. Now, I will say this. And this is, I want to put this out into the podcast universe. he's going to do it at a bad time in a postseason series I'm just letting everyone know and we're all going to be like what is he doing it's like remember when swarber bunted in what was that game six of the world series I think he was on I think he was on part of my take talking about that

yeah he was like he's walking back to the dugout like you idiot what are you just bunting for it was that bunt and that punt and the stopbunt the two most notable uh postseason A lot of notable buntz in Philly's history. Yeah, so like what the hell are you guys doing? So, but yeah, man, it's a really exciting time with the way they're playing and the way they stabilized. And I don't appreciate the national media doing the whole, hey, there's one team that can take down the Dodgers. It's the Phillies thing because the starting staff.

I really just have so much emotional scarring from that. But, man, they are, they're in a damn good spot, Tucker. Yeah, and it's funny because, you know, I went to an ag, Falls last week and I was listening to the Phillies on XM and you have to listen on the home broadcast. Though WIP now on XM so you can listen to it there. But you got to listen to the home broadcast. So I had to listen to the Mariners broadcast that I was driving. And it's so funny listening to how opposing broadcasters talk about the Phillies where, you know, when you're here and you live it every day and you live the roller coaster and the ups and downs and man, trade earners having a rough year.

Alec Bomes kind of turned things around. listening to them talk about, man, they had a really rough stretch, but they've been amazing. And Don Mattingly has been great. And can you believe how exciting Trey Turner is when he gets on base? Like, I don't know if we become more negative because we do experience all the lows and we just don't look at the box score every night or just don't look at the record and see that they're 18 games over 500. But I felt that way kind of all year that the national media and just kind of the outlook on this team from the outside looking in has been a lot higher than maybe what we've felt. felt personally. Yeah, so since April 26th, I think it is around that time, whatever, they do have a better

record than the Braves. And now they had the bad July. I think that threw people kind of off the scent a little bit. But man, like they just, they've gotten right back to where I think that we thought that were going to be. I remember I felt this way last year, too, though, you know, when Bader got here. And who knows how that series goes if Bader doesn't get heard and Wheeler gets going. But I guess it's just kind of that time of the year where you're like,

maybe this is it. They're just always really good in August. I don't know why. You and James mentioned it on the last pod. Like, I felt this way at the end of August last year with Bader and how well him and Duran kind of really short up everything

in the outfield and in the bullpen. About that way in 23, with the trade turnover evasion. They hit like 59 home runs that month instead of franchise record. And then you have this month where it was just like, eh, they're just going to win no matter what.

And they had a kind of rough start at one point. they did lose, I think, like four or five to start the month. And then they ripped off nine in a row, lost two, ripped off five in a row. Like the fact that they're able to keep coming back after these setbacks, I think it's a huge thing too for a team that I think in the last few post seasons when they've gone down, they haven't necessarily been able to fight back out of a hole. Yeah. You know, I think the one thing that's happened with them is that is that the in-game resiliency feels like it's been built up a little bit. I always give them credit for, I think over a season, they can climb their way out of it. But there is this feeling of, well, we're not going to just let this game go awry.

And yesterday, I kind of feel like they're about to have a little bit of a moment, a little bit. And then, you know, we couldn't our cleanup hitter who is a bat to ball artist and loves hitting with two strikes and put the ball all over the field. Except for some reason recently, he's just eyeing up the shortstop and cannot wait to hit a grounder right at him. I think he's been doing too much of bone. I think he's been infected. I do. I think Arise has been infected a little bit with a little bit of boh mitis. And it is nice seeing old 643 getting back to his ways.

I was getting a little bit sick and tired of having a praise bomber. Seeing him get a little bit of jam shots this week has been refreshing, to say the least. It leads to the NL and double plays now, by the way. Ah, nice. We're back. We're back. But there is this in-game resiliency that I think they're building up. and when you have a comeback like they had against the Cardinals,

and it doesn't matter who the opponent is, I think teams can trick themselves into believing in anything, especially athletes. And as you build it up over time, you have these comebacks, you start to have a little bit of belief. And, you know, yesterday could have been one of those moments

if you maybe let Derek Hill steal the base rather than swinging first pitch. But nevertheless, they were going to lose a baseball game. So it is what it is. All right, so this series, a couple things that I thought that stuck out that I want to talk about. We mentioned the starting staff.

Like, like Nola, we feel good about where he's at. Lazzardo has been, I love Jesus Lazzardo. And Tucker, it almost doesn't get talked about enough that we always do the Nebraska thing.

He got an ace level pitcher, who, by the way, he signed to a contract this offseason for 5-135. If he hits the open market this off-season, 200. Oh, easily. 250. He's going to, he would hit the market at 29, I believe. So Dylan Sees, who had not had a season the way that Lazzardo had last year and now this year

until this year where he's probably going to finish second in the A.L. Sy Young. He got seven years to 10. And he was in his 30s, I believe. So him, I mean, Debrowski and the whole Lazzardo situation and locking him down and even trading for him, Starlin Cabin and Marion Boyd, For a guy that is turned into an ace level starter for you, we talked about when they got him, the idea of this could be Wheeler all over again. And he hasn't been Wheeler-wheeler,

but he has turned into, he's a top-10 pitcher in baseball. And it feels like it's always, well, Sanchez and Wheeler. Totally agree. And then it's like, oh, yeah, and Lazzardo. Like, Lazzardo is a top-10 starting pitcher in baseball. They should have, realistically, three, as long as Wheeler is.

it's crazy and like the the zeus trade is an all-timer i mean maybe the best trade for a lefty starter in philly's history just kidding rick wise for steve carl i'm just kidding i'm just kidding i mean it is crazy and not only like how great he's been his two years here but think about how quickly he turned his season around right like i think through his first eight starts he had an er a close to close to six he kind of looked like the guy we saw in the middle of the year last year where he just had a month where he was tipping pitches and everyone was hitting everything he threw. His last point he starts, the Phillies are 17 and 3. He's got an ERA of 2.07.

I mean, he's outside of Mizorowski. He's been the best pitcher in baseball for the last three months. Yeah. And it's just like, it's just rolling right along, just doing his Lazzardo thing and not being talked about as one of the better pictures. No, he's not a headline. Like you forget that he's in the rotation sometimes. Sometimes. And you're like, oh, Zeus tonight.

Perfect. And then he just goes out there, rolls and does his thing, strikes out of a mill. in guys and and man the sweeper's been a total equalizer for him like Caleb Cotham like the thing that he believes in most in is is a nice little sweeper teaches all these guys sweeper. Painter sweeper has been great. His sweeper's been great. Um, you know, I think that slowly but surely they're turning into a bit of a, a bit of a change up organization as well. You know, Lazzardo's totally changed this change up and it's been a plus bitch for him. We, I mean, Sanchez was not always, didn't always have this change up. And then you get to

Painter. And for as much as we talk about the fastball, talk about fixing that. And I totally agree they had to. And his stuff was down a little bit yesterday, but he obviously was great. The change has been a total gain changer for him as well. A 0.77 batting average against since Painter came back with that changeup. It's crazy. And a near 20% whiff rate.

And you know what I love the most about it? Because I never understood, I never understood why it was a thing. But I love the right-on-right change-up. Like, I like a left-on-left change-up when the timing's right for it, but a right-on-right change-up. It basically moves like a splitter used to. Yeah. Except it's more of a circle change-up grip to it.

He ditched the splitter. I mean, Painter was really, really good yesterday. He was awesome, and he's been awesome since he's come back. And if you're Caleb Cotham, if you're the Phillies pitching development staff, I mean, you deserve a huge pat on the back for what this kid has been. able to turn around so quickly because he looked lost when they sent him down a couple months ago. And he's had some issues. He for some reason can't get the first two batters out to start the game.

If he does that, like he just might throw a no-hitter. I was watching the game with Spike and Ike yesterday. And when he got out of the first thing, I was like, he just might throw seven shutout now because he won't give up another base runner. I think he only give one more hit after that. But yeah, what he's done and his ability to kind of reinvent himself on the fly and adjust his pitch mix over the last two or three months gives the Phillies another weapon going into the postseason. Like when we talk about this pitching staff and this bullpen and how,

you know, shallow it may be, it's really good to have five starters right now who you could probably mix a match and piggyback and do creative things. Now, there remains be seen of Don Madingley's the guy to be pushing those buttons, but it's really good to have another arm. And when you talk about, you know, null aging and Wheeler aging, we had Painter, you know, kind of penciled in at the top of this rotation for two, three, four years down the line. He looks like that guy again. Yeah, I mean, the Phillies have to be thrilled.

And I think the one guy, like you start dreaming on Painter now rather than just hoping he was going to figure it out. You can start dreaming on, okay, now he's going to have an entire offseason to really hone in on what he's developed this year. So, and he's another year removed from, from TJ. he's going to should be even stronger he has surpassed his the one thing i do want to monitor with him is that he he has surpasses his innings from last year now um so he's he's in like the 120s or one 30s innings pitch this year combined he's at 105 with the Phillies but he obviously threw a

few starts in triple a yeah i think it's 26 at triple a so he's uh around like the 130 mark uh last year i think he threw in the 120s so uh i hope that yesterday was not you know the fatigue starting to wear in a little bit and that's why he saw some of the stuff go down but um but yeah he he's pitching with a ton of confidence he i don't know why he throws 95 in the first and then i mean maybe it's the old verlander thing where verlander he's to come out throwing 95 and then would ramp it up as a start goes hey maybe he's playing chess while everyone else playing checkers you know maybe he's being a pure starting pitcher back in the day back when back when when we were learning the game back when the expectation was you go seven innings yes yes game changed huh

every time every game every game but um like you know it used to be you come out you establish your fastball you you leave some in the tank for later in the game maybe painter shoulds just the throwback where he's like that first hit perfect here's 94 down the middle grooved for you i'm not going to throw any of my off speed and uh and then you'll look up in the seventh inning and painter's still out there uh kind of doing his thing so and the thing that was uh Awesome and and awesome and great about yesterday is, is, I mean, I feel like the only ball that was really hit hard was that one that went off Stott's glove that that Stott probably should have caught. It wasn't like sometimes the painter, there's a lot, a lot of hard contact.

There really since he's come back, it hasn't been that way. I think his barrel rate since he's gone back is like 3.8. And when he got sent down, the barrel rate against him was nine something. Yeah. So it felt like he was addicted to finding barrels before he got sent down. And since he's gone back, he's limited damage much better. But it wasn't like they were hitting rockets right at people. He was in complete and total control of that game yesterday.

Yeah, I mean, he was a guy who early on in the season, like, you were praying that when they hit the ball, it was right at somebody because they were hitting it hard. But he's missing a lot of bats too. Like his swing and missed off, his whiff rate is way up. His strikeout numbers haven't been super high, which I think is kind of interesting. He's still around like seven K per nine this year. And even yesterday, he had six and seven innings. So I do wonder if that's just more of an approach thing.

And he'll kind of figure it out because the underlying numbers of him missing bats are there. But yeah, I mean, just the way he looks is completely different from what we saw two months ago. Yeah, it's not even close. I think I would rather him learn how to be efficient in the strike zone and pitch than hunt. strikeouts i think that's been the biggest thing with lazardo is that they have they've got him in the zone rather than just hunting k's and you know lizardo at times when he feels like he's out of the zone i think he'll like dial it back on the fastball start throwing 94 95 find the feel again and then start ramping it back up but those guys i've said it before this podcast like those guys remind me a lot

of each other like they they use all of their other stuff and then use their fastball to hunt strikeouts or um like a like a change of pace type pitch like they they have very very similar styles right now. All right, some other things. Alex McFarro is a revelation. You want to talk about changing the equation when it comes to this team in October? Just having that guy be able to come into a game

in the six or seventh inning at this point and maybe as things go further, he could turn into maybe even an eighth inning guy. I think Boland's fine. The home run yesterday was annoying, but I know he's been a little shaky recently, but I was thinking he's pitching a lot more.

So that's something the problem I have to manage a little bit. I overall think he's okay. But McFarlane, I mean, that Nola inning, that felt like the moment where the Phillies, the fans, everyone else was just like, oh, he's got something. He's shown

glimpses. He's shown flashes, but we've been waiting for him in a leveraged spot and just coming into that situation, just getting out of it without completely falling apart. I mean, this is why he had to be at Reading until mid-July, all those high-leveraged late-ending spot.

got him ready for for for these moments. I mean, he looks like the next evolution of the relief pitcher. Like just the stuff he has, it looks like he's throwing a wiffle ball and it just happens to be 102 and moves as much as it does. But yeah, I do like the confidence he kind of carries himself with on the mound.

Like he's built and kind of acts like a big game reliever unlike, you know, some other people in that bullpen. Oh, 100%. 100%. An old Kirkie. He was, he was, he tried. He tried. That's another thing I wanted to bring up is that we're always monitoring a lot of situations on this podcast.

And obviously, we've talked a lot about old Donny Baseball's bullpen management. Pretty shaky sometimes. But I thought this series, we might have seen him start understanding leverage just a little bit. Just a little bit. Kirkering was struggling. He had Rayleigh up and ready to go against the left. Do you think we're really only pitched one inning in the last two weeks? Well, like it's one total, right?

because he's finished. He has three appearances with one out. Nice. Nice. Nice. So, you know, a little bit there. He had bowling, ready to go in the Lazzardo inning versus Pardomo. So listen, our guy might be starting to figure out what leverage situations are.

Drink up, baby. Fantasy Football Happy Hour is here to get you wins and have some laughs. Matthew Berry here and my podcast, Fantasy Football Happy Hour, has the sleepers bus and starts in advice you need to win your league. We're diving into the tape. We're crunching the numbers to bring you sleepers. Busts weekly starts sit advice, whether you're defending a title or desperately avoiding last place.

I've got you covered every single weekday. The bar is open. It's fantasy football happy hour with Matthew Barry, wherever you get your podcast. By the way, speaking of bad bunts that we talked about earlier, the Pardomo bunt yesterday, one of the worst bunt I've ever seen, just in time and place.

place, runner on second base, you're the four hitter. What are you bunting for? Yeah, I was driving home at that point, and Scott on the radio was incredulous. He couldn't believe that the cleanup hitter would bunt in that situation. Like, you're a hundred RBI guy. And not only did you choose to bun, it may have been the worst bun ever. You just bunted it right back to the pitcher. I know.

It reminded me of what was NLDS game four against the Braves in, 22, I think. I think it's 22 or 23, but Strom was in and the guy bunted. And it was, everyone in the building was like, well, thanks. Like, appreciate it. You gave us a free out. Thank you so much.

We will take it. We will take it. So we're monitoring the madingly interesting leverage thing. McFarland just been a total revelation, total revelation, and really changes the equation for this pen. And maybe just maybe you could take down the Bolin inning. But overall, I think Boland's fine. He just pitched a lot of it.

a lot recently. They've relied upon them and probably needs a little bit of a brain here. Bryce on this road trip at 485 with an OPS over 1,200. He has been unbelievable, you know, since they got a rise. I do think he's starting

to a little bit get back to the, I'm not going to just take my walk, because I know he did in the ninth yesterday, but he's I could see him this series being a little bit less lucky and more. I'm going to go out there and try to hit kind of guy but he has been on an absolute tear and like if you again if you take out that

july and he can't take out that july but if he has a normal bryce month he's already top four in woba he's top 10 in all like the important hitting stats he's had an elite year that that i feel like has not been talked about enough because people were so set that he was he was done and and he is answering the bell this year. Yeah, and he's also been like really streaky. Like when he's gone bad and gone cold, like he's gone really bad and cold. Like he's had a few, you know, over 15, over

20 stretches. But I do wonder, like, he's up to 100 blocks. He said at the beginning of the year, he won at 125. So getting close to that number, like he's got an outside shot at his 125 goal. But I mean, when we talk about how much you maybe

enjoys hitting in front of a rise, does that change the price you would pay? to keep Louisa Rise in the offseason? I don't know about a rise right now. I don't know. I don't know. I need him to have a hot streak. I need something.

It's been a little bit of a lot of just not well-struck baseballs recently. Can you see why he's been on so many teams now? Well, I think that I think everyone's starting to see the warts of Louisa Rise where, yes, he puts the bat on the baseball. That's about it. That's really just about it. I mean, how many times can we do the, oh, my. It's just so amazing he doesn't strike out. Well, it doesn't also come with like that much.

It comes with a ball that you just hope can sneak over the shortstop's head or sneak through one of the holes in the infield rather than let's rip a double into the gap. Again, he's fine. I don't want to judge him too bad off of a downstretch in his time here. When he first got here, it was great. And I hope he can get back to that. But right now it does not change my equation, Tucker, on if I would bring him back, I would try to find someone maybe with a little bit more thump if they can. But I also want him to, I also don't want to write him off completely because I do think he's a talented hitter.

But you are certainly starting to see the warts of Luis Surrise. Yeah, I mean, I said when he went through his first cold streak, like if these bloopers that he hits aren't falling in, it's a brutal watch. And you saw in the ninth inning last night, right? when he goes up and just hits that ground ball first pitch. I mean, he's hitting 280, which isn't terrible for him. It is because he was hitting like 315 when he got here. So on base percentage here, it's like $2.95, which isn't, isn't great. I think trade turn is the only one in the starting lineup with a lower OBP than him right now,

who's also hitting at the top of the lineup. But yeah, I mean, he's an incredibly flawed player. And I think we've kind of seen that play out over his first month here. Yeah. Yeah. No, it's been a little bit of frustrating. it's been a little bit frustrated and I really hope he turns it around because I do like the idea of him and I hope in the postseason it can change the equation there current arise current arises is a bit much but hey he certainly helped out Harper and and Harper feels comfortable with him hitting behind him and if he gets this version of Harper then I mean I'll I'll pay I'll give Louis for rise a hundred million for whatever it takes to get Bryce to be to be Bryce again I will take it and I will take it and I I also don't understand.

I know this is going to sound a little boomery. Like, how do you go through these times with Bryce? And you see him consciously thinking about the opposite way. And it's like, why don't you just do that all the time? Just always think, go the opposite way. And when he's going the opposite way, he is one of the best hitters in baseball. I just do it. Like, just do the opposite way field thing.

The funny thing about Bryce is he doesn't do anything subtle, like at all. No, no. Like, you can always tell what he's thinking or what he's trying to do every time he comes up to the plate. It's fascinating for someone that great and that big of a superstar, how much he tinkers with things and just how demonstrative he is with everything he does. Yeah. And I think as long as he's hot, he's going to wear the camo every single night. The camo, the camo seems like it's here to stay. The bright orange.

He's fully. He sometimes wears the septa arm sleeve. Oh, yes. Yes, the septal arm. You got to pay tribute to the market. Frankfurt line, his favorite. Yes, yes. Everyone talks about the staples of the city, you know, cheese steaks and septa.

That's what's Philadelphia. Our favorites. We're so big into public transportation. It's our favorite thing in the entire world. But yeah, the Bryce thing, I'm very, very happy. And I need him to, I need him to have postseason moment again. I need him to get back in the good graces of the city. And everyone just understand that we're watching one of the best players, or at least, you know,

Best players of a generation and going to be a Hall of Famer because he's been he's been pretty ridiculous. And we don't need to do the elite, not elite thing. This year he has been an elite hitter. He's going to end the year with 30 plus home runs. May driving 100. He's 20 RBI short, Tucker, I think. He's at 80 right now. 20 RBI short.

I think, yeah, you said 125. I like said 140 was his goal. But regardless, like going to walk a ton. and we need that big postseason series to get back in the good graces of the city and then have people being pro-Brice again. All right. So before we get to Tucker's bag here, huge series this weekend. I mean, just now it's a four-gamer.

We've got to wrap around with the Monday Labor Day, which is nice. Hey, they're playing on a holiday. Crazy concept. In a day game on a holiday, which I appreciate it. Well, gee, Willickers. If only there was a couple days during the summer where every team should be playing because everyone's off of work. Good for the Phillies and Major League Baseball.

They're playing on a holiday. So the matchups this weekend, you got Sal Sanchez on Friday and tomorrow night, which is going to be awesome. Martine Perez is actually been pretty good for them. He's going against Wheeler, huge Wheeler spot from the standpoint of judging whether or not that he is back. And if he shuts down the Braves, which he feels like he always levels up a little bit against the Braves because they, he feels like, you know, he's a Braves fan growing up.

But Perez versus him, Tyler Maylee, who annoyingly shut this team down early in the season before they changed their approach and everything's back. Versus, again, a good spot to see how back Nola is. And then Bryce Elder, who, thank God, has climbed back to Earth a little bit. His ERA is now over four after he was leading the majors in the IRA the first two months of the year. Bryce Elder versus Zeus on Monday. So you feel good about having those four going in a series and they're what three games back of the Braves? I think they're four games back after yesterday. Four games back of the Braves.

I should have looked that up for the podcast, totally unprofessional by me. But a real kind of maker, not make or break from the standpoint of making the postseason. But I think it's one of those series where it's a gut check and the fan base is going to be absurdly locked in on it. and if they go out and take three or four, I think that Tuesday morning, there is a feeling of we can do it. I think that this is the series that I think people are waiting for.

They've got off the West Coast trip, which not everyone is totally locked in on. And if they go out and take care of business against the Braves, I think that this is a real win to the back of their sales and let's go win the entire thing. Yeah, I mean, it feels like a real measuring stick series for this team.

And it's a team that, you know, you possibly, if you want to get to the World Series, you're going to have to maybe go through the Braves in the National League playoffs. And this is a team that really kind of shut you down when you played them earlier in the season. Like one of the reasons why you kind of struggled early on us because you played them. You're one in five against them. Obviously, there was a different team back then.

He had a different manager. He had a completely different approach. But you kind of look at what they've done. And you know, you could say they've beat up on, you know, some pretty pretty bad teams or mediocre teams. I mean, the Braves are about as good as it gets in the National League. So if you win three or four, if you put yourself right back in the division race with, you know,

three weeks to go, I think everyone's going to be really excited. I think it's going to really energize the fan base. And I think even if you don't reach, you know, the top of the NL East and he still finished second, probably put a little scare into the Braves. You probably thought after April, we don't really have to worry about this team.

Yeah. And honestly, I'm mostly okay, not winning the division. now at the same time like it would be cool winning three straight would be good um i i i for the first time actually want them to play i don't you want them to play in the wild card because i really want them to play in the wild card i want them to play in the wild card it's it may sound dumb but they've had their best success by playing in the wild card and it doesn't always mean you know the past doesn't always guarantee future results but i think this team struggles with that week off and i want them being as as locked in as they can be i want the wild card series you know the wild card series you know

give it to me. Yeah, me too. And I guess you could get there if you were the third division winner. But I'd much rather, yeah, just I would, would you give up the division? Would you say I'll take the top of all card, have the Cubs come here for three games? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I still can't feel on that Cubs team. Like Bregman's super hot right now. Obviously, PCA is PCA. I'm an MVP. I don't trust that starting staff that. In a shorter series, I almost, I was, Webb got hurt last night, who was one of their better relievers recently. So yeah in a shorter series I would almost rather play the Cubs than the the Diamondbacks or Padres

Man I would I would like to face that deepax team in the postseason I think they are pretty Pretty hot garbage to be honest with you all right Tucker before wrap things up what do you got in your bag I mentioned it a little bit earlier brandon marsh second half of the season he's got a 510 OPS just third worst in the national league worst among all all stars I think Ernie clemetz like 587. The other one that's really struggled. It's kind of flown under the radar because the team has been so good in August,

but kind of reaching a breaking point where he's just been an automatic out now for two months, and I know he does this every year, but it's been pretty awful, and I don't think anyone's really talking about it. Yeah, so I looked up the other day. I think he has like one extra base hit in his lap, like of his hits.

I think it was one, and it was like a long enough time ago. He has two home runs since July 1st. Yeah, well, that checks out. I mean, him and Turner right now, I feel like the two biggest, like, sticking points in the lineup. Schwerber, Schwerber has not been great at all, but he has his moments where he're like, oh, there's Schwerber. He's fine. Well, not fine, but he feels more strikeouty this year in big moments. I know he had the home run, but he certainly has not had as good of years last year.

I don't care that he's leading major league baseball in home runs with 40. He's slowed down from that standpoint. And then a rise is one as well, but, but I think you trust the track records with those two. Yeah. Turner, you should probably trust track record, but it's just been so eh. Marsh is the one where you're like, no. Now, at least Brian Del Cruz has been very, very, very good. And has been playing against lefties.

We know that, but I don't think they would start cutting into those playing time against righties. I don't think they would do that with, with Marsh, but at least Brian Del Cruz has certainly been viable and a real option for them. Yeah, and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm more optimistic about this team in the postseason. It's because you have the debt, like you have someone who you could put out there, who's got any big hits. Mention Turner. I looked it up too because he was also awful in the month of August. So he's 11 months in his career over, I don't forget how many years. He's played 10, 11. 11 months in his career, he has an OPS under 710. Four of them are this year.

Wow. Which is kind of worrisome. Wow. Wow. Yeah. I mean, it checks out. I mean, he's had like two spurts this year where a two-week stretch where he hit 350 and it was like that raises average a little bit. And then he was out that series out in San Diego or he had the back-to-back games with home runs. And that's really been it.

I mean, he did drive in a run in this series, which was good late. But it was still like a little nonsense bleeder to the right side that barely squeaked through. It wasn't the most, it wasn't the most ethical base hit, I would say. It was a pretty unethical hit with runners in scoring position. by old Dre. This is the first Phillies team with a 20-win month and a month with less than 10 wins since 1995. Wow.

Wow. I mean, that is pretty crazy. There's some stat yesterday that is starting to have me. I forget exactly what it was, but this is the first time that a team has done what the Phillies has done this year since the 19 nationals. So that gave me a little bit of... Yeah, I mean, that's like your classic worst-to-first kind of team.

Yeah. Well, they were even... I think there were 48 and 6. 63 at one point that nationals team or maybe it's 31 and 44. But that's the one that you're looking at of is this team that. Even the Braves in 21. I mean, the Braves and 21 were nothing until September of that year. So feed me all of the historical stats about former and previous World Series winners.

I'll consume them all. It's also the first team, first Philly's team since 1977 to have three months with 18, wins. Really? Which is crazy. Not even the 11 team. So I looked it up. 11, like they just went like 17 and 10

every month. Like they just won between 16 and 17 games like every month. They never really had like a downturn. Which you kind of need a team like this. Like if you were to do that to kind of have a downturn like they did in April and July and then you kind of pick

things back up in May, June in August. But it's kind of weird. Like just how when this team has been good, they've been really, really, really good. And when they've been bad, they've been borderline unwatchable. Well, yeah. He just, just for one month in October,

we said one of those months, just one of the good months. Let's not do the bad month. But yeah, hot or high. Lowell's below. That's Phil's baseball. That's how it is. Last one, Bryce Harper's OBP in August was 496, which was the highest for Phillies banner since Jason Worth.

in August of 2007. I don't think we talk about August 2000 Jason Worth, maybe ever, because that was his first time ever as like a full-time player for the Phillies. Like he had missed a month earlier with a wrist injury. His batting average at the time when he got hurt with the Phillies was like 235. It was 326 by that month of August. Like he raised his batting average by 90 points. He hit 414 and an 1109 OPS, 19 RBI's 14 walks.

I don't remember that at all. Me neither. But like, obviously, like, the story of 2007 is how amazing Utley was, Rollins won MVP. No one talks about how Jason Worth came back from a wrist injury and played like an MVP for the month of August. Well, and his first time as an everyday player. And came back from a wrist injury that derailed his career with the Dodgers. I mean, that was right. Like he missed all of 2006. It was just like the, like Curry's ankles, like Steph Curry's ankles before, you know,

he figured that whole thing out. And without modern technology, who knows if Curry, like, Curry played in the 80s. Who knows if he's able to have the career that he has. But yes, I do not remember August of 2007 Jason Worth at all. I do remember that was the year that he stole second and third base against the against the Mets. I remember that one. That was special.

But I'd maintain that one. And then it's funny. He does that. And they still go out and sign Jeff Jenkins that offseason. Well, that was the other thing I thought was funny. I was like, wow, he played really well. And then they still signed Jeff Jenkins. it still took until like July of that year for Charlie Manuel to finally say like,

eh, I think he's going to be an everyday player now. Yeah. And then three years later, he's signing $125 million deal. Yeah. Jason Worth is, everyone talks about Rollins-Latley Howard, rightfully so. But with him and Chuch and Victorino, like those guys are, now Chooch isn't a superstar. And Victorino was in 2012. He was in 2012.

Adderall Chooch. Adderall Chooch. But like Victorino and. and worth are just like they're they're not on the level of altly ronalds and hour but they're they're pretty dang close uh worth more than victorino for me uh but victorino obviously a great player so the the the depth of that team was just crazy and the the more um the further and further you get away from it the more and more you appreciate how truly great the oate team was yeah i mean it's just unbelievable the depth they had enough like you look at his numbers like oh he had a

130 OPS plus in 2009, hitting six on that team. He used to be hitting two or three. I know, who knows in modern days where he would have hit, but regardless, J-Dove was the best. All right, Tucker.

Well, thanks for sitting in for old Seltzer. He said he'd say he's going to be back on Monday. So I hope so. I guess we'll be back on Monday. But Tucker, a great job, as always, for sitting in for James.

And it's a big series. It's a big series. go out there, take care of business. I would hate a split. I would hate a split, but we live with the split. We would love three or four. If they lose three or four, panic in the streets and everything you've done from this point, from on that West Coast trip,

all for not, and no one cares but the nine game winning streak at all. So no pressure, but go out there and take care of business. Hopefully, unless a playoff atmosphere down in CBP. I like, I like a late, early September. You start getting the red October juices flowing. That's what this weekend feels like Tucker. Yeah, I think it's going to cool off a little bit, too. It'll be comfortable down there.

Oh, perfect. All right. Well, enjoy the Brave series, hopefully. And we'll be back on Monday or Tuesday for reacting to it all. So for Dr. Bagley and Jack for us, this has been another edition of the High Hope's podcast.